Related Events

Starting July 1, with the opportunity for an extension, Maria Cimitile will be Grand Valley State University’s new provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs. Cimitile currently is GVSU’s associate vice president for academic affairs. Previous administrative positions include associate dean for students and curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2005. She then returned to her faculty position three years later and then worked in various positions within the provost's office in 2009 followed by associate vice president in 2015.

ADVERTISING

Experience Grand Rapids hired Kelsey Helstowski as national sales manager following the retirement of Bob Snyders.

AGRICULTURE

Ottawa County is accepting applications from landowners interested in preserving farmland. Its Purchase of Development Rights program is a voluntary program that preserves farmland by purchasing or receiving donations of development rights from an actively farmed property. For more information, call (616) 738-4852.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

The Architecture Studio at Wightman & Associates Inc. in Benton Harbor added the following to its team of architectural and planning professionals: Carl Baxmeyer, J. VincentRigg and Mark R. Smith.

ARTS

The Lakeshore Art Festival in Muskegon was awarded the 2017 Sustainability Champion Award at the 2017 Sustainability Champion Awards Ceremony.

AWARDS

Haworth Inc. announced Interphase Interiors, an exclusive dealer for Haworth, was awarded the national 2017 Best In Class distinction for the sixth consecutive year and was recognized as one of West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.

Kalamazoo-based Consumers Credit Union Vice President of Organization Development Kristen Davidson was named Professional of the Year by the Credit Union National Association’s Human Resources and Organizational Development Council.

Rockford Construction was awarded a $6.3-million loan and $13 million in Tax Increment Financing through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Michigan Strategic Fund for a planned mixed-use development on Grand Rapids’ West Side at the corner of Bridge Street and Seward Avenue. The project includes a Meijer grocery store, 116 market-rate apartments Rockford will manage, a 275-space parking deck and an office and retail building. The West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology will occupy 20,000 square feet of the available 56,000. The development also includes an affordable housing development by Inner City Christian Federation; the first floor of ICCF’s building will feature retail space.

Kent County CommissionerStan Ponstein recently was elected to the board of the Michigan Association of Counties.

EDUCATION

The Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business was recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business for its commitment to creating and incubating cutting-edge business innovations and fostering entrepreneurship in the next generation of business leaders

Hope College psychology faculty member Lindsey Root Luna is the recipient of the 53rd Hope Outstanding Professor Educator Award by the graduating Class of 2017.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Perrin Brewing in Comstock Park recently released its high gravity double black lager Black Goat, the third specialty bottle release of 2017 from the Perrin Pub.

GRANTS

The West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission received a $210,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration to help spur economic development in West Michigan. The funding to work with local communities within the five-county region, including Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana counties.

HEALTH

CSL Plasma Inc. has opened a new plasma collection center at 1290 28th St. SW in Wyoming.

Robinet Physical Therapy in Rockford added to its staff Jason Meagrow and Sydney Savage, both doctors of physical therapy.

Harvest Health Foods celebrated its 65th anniversary. Henry Diedering, 90, opened the first grocery store in 1952 on Wealthy Street, shortly after coming to the United States from the Netherlands. It has grown to three locations and employs 70 people and still is family owned and operated.

SERVICES

M&K Truck Centers in Wyoming announced the promotions of Steve Waters to regional vice president of operations and Don Kortman to vice president of parts. Both are new leadership positions.

Trivalent Group in Grandville announced the following appointments: Aaron Darland, account manager for Trivalent’s Mid-Michigan Branch in Mount Pleasant; Angela Applebee, account manager for the company’s Capital Area branch in East Lansing; Becky Peuler, inside client account manager; and Jenna Cairo, market development specialist.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Jeremy Forrester joined TelDesigns in Holland as a senior strategic consultant.

TRANSPORTATION

The West Michigan Airport Authority, comprised of Park Township and the cities of Holland and Zeeland, named the appointments of Beth Blanton, Skip Keeter and Scott Corbin to its board.

TRAVEL & TOURISM

West Michigan Tourist Association marked its 100th anniversary. In 1917, delegates from across Michigan gathered in the former Pantlind Hotel, now part of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, to form what they dubbed the Michigan Tourist and Resort Association. With over 850 member properties throughout the area, WMTA is recognized as the leading source of travel information for the West Michigan area.

Restricted Content

About GRBJ

Since 1983, the Grand Rapids Business Journal has been West Michigan's primary and most-trusted source of local business news. The weekly print edition of the Business Journal, a must-read for the area’s top decision-makers, is known as the business newspaper of metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon and all of West Michigan.

grbj.com provides the same trusted and objective business reporting that the Business Journal is known for -- plus real-time original content, timely enewsletters/alerts, exclusive blogs and more. Business Journal subscribers receive the weekly print edition, including bonus publications like the annual Book of Lists, and also complete access to all content on grbj.com.

The Grand Rapids Business Journal is published by Gemini Publications.